Cooking With Amanda: February 2014

Friday, February 28, 2014

Top 9 Award-Worthy Snacks for Oscar Night

It's time again to mark another end to the movie season. Not by bestowing awards on Hollywood, but by grabbing a bottle of Cava, flexing your Twitter fingers, and gathering up the very best snacks. Sure, you might not be at the Academy Awards, but you've got the comfort of your couch and lots of yummyness at hand.

In honor of the 9 movies nominated for Best Picture, we've gathered together our 9 very best recipes to nosh on while you rate the dresses and try to win the office Oscar betting pool.

9 Award-Worthy Snacks for Oscar Night

1. Cool Ranch Popcorn

We're celebrating the movies, so obviously we need popcorn! This zesty popcorn is way above the greasy movie theatre standard, and even more addictive!

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1. Cool Ranch Popcorn

We're celebrating the movies, so obviously we need popcorn! This zesty popcorn is way above the greasy movie theatre standard, and even more addictive!

2. Goat Cheese Stuffed Peppers

Goat cheese somehow makes everything seem elegant, which you'll need if you're partying in your PJs. The peppers are a delish way to enjoy the creamy cheese.

3. Roasted Beet Hummus

We can pretend to be healthy while snacking, so let's do it with this beet hummus. It will rival the gowns on the red carpet with its gorgeous hue!

4. Mini Samosas

Samosas are a great snack that are a bit more substantial than chips and dip. Plus these are vegetarian, so they're sure to please everyone.

5. Homemade Cheez-Its

You'll impress everyone at the party (OK, or maybe just your cat) when you show up with these homemade versions of the classic cracker.

6. Jalapeno Popper Bread

Cheese and bread and spicy jalapenos? Sign us up! You just might need to make two so you get enough to yourself!

7. Caramel Nut Clusters

To balance out the savory, we need a little sweet. These nut clusters are so good, they'll be gone before you know it.

8. Old Bay Chex Mix

Chex Mix is the snack version of Meryl Streep. So classic, yet versatile, we shake things up in this snack mix with the addition of Old Bay.

9. Seven Layer Dip

Why compromise when you can get every flavor in a single dip? Grab some hearty chips to stand up to this glorious creation. Best dressed indeed.

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Oscar Party Recipe: Sparkling Cranberry & St. Germain Pitcher Cocktail — The 10-Minute Happy Hour

Hosting an Oscar party means adding a little luxe to your usual gathering. Portable appetizers and easy snacks along with big batch drinks allow even the host to stay tuned to the show.

Maureen's 5 Oscar Party Tips

Here are my Oscar party tips:

1. Skip any food that requires a knife and fork and stick to one or two bite appetizers.

2. The red carpet kicks off early in the day so no need for a full meal.

3. Simply adding some gold flecks to chocolate covered strawberries and serving drinks in champagne flutes makes the gathering more festive. Or learn how to make these simple but perfectly glam drink stirrers.

4. You don't have to be dramatic with decor. Think black, white and hints of gold. Swag some gold fabric on your bar area or place strands of gold and silver beads on your table top to create that Oscar party buzz.

5. And most importantly: Stick with big batches of drinks. Pitchers or punch bowls are perfect for an Oscar party.

This simple pitcher drink is pretty enough for the red carpet and will keep you from being stuck at the bar making drinks a la carte for your guests. The only catch: this drink is such a crowd pleaser that you might need to whip up a few batches!

Throw on your heels with your jeans, polish your glassware and invite some friends over to enjoy this Oscar worthy sip this weekend.

Oscar Party Pitcher Drink

Serves 4 to 6

1 cup vodka
3 ounces St. Germain elderflower liqueur
1/2 cup cranberry juice
1 1/2 cups club soda

In a large pitcher filled with ice, combine all of the ingredients. Serve in champagne flutes or other festive glasses.

(Image credits: Maureen Petrosky)

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Oscar Party Recipe: Sparkling Cranberry & St. Germain Pitcher Cocktail

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KitchenIQ V-etched Container Grater Review

The Kitchen IQ V-Etched Container Grater is the perfect tool when you need to grate or shred cheese, vegetables or spices. It contains four different blades so almost any food can be easily shredded or grated. It even has a slicer blade which I love to use to slice cucumbers or potatoes.

One of my favorite things about this grater is that it is also a storage container so if I need to slice or grate food for later, I can easily do my prep work in advance then store the whole container in my refrigerator. The container is marked with measurements so it works well when following a recipe.

The Kitchen IQ V-Etched Container Grater has so many benefits over other graters. The blades are non-stick which makes for very easy clean up. The container has a no slip bottom, making it very easy to use. The best part is that this tool is compact so it stores well and all the blades fit right in the container.

Pros:

Sharp blades cut food to perfect shreds and slices.
Easy to use along with very easy clean up.
Versatile and works with an array of foods.
Compact and stores well.

Cons:

Sharp blades work well but be careful not to cut your fingers.

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Low Carb Chili & KitchenIQ Giveaway

How do you like your chili? Beans or no beans? Spicy, mild or screaming hot? Green or red sauce? Everyone has a different chili they prefer. For some reason I hated beans as a child, so I always got excited when someone made a bean-less pot of chili.

Even when I was in my twenties, I remember going to a restaurant that specialized in chili and being happy to see that they had a no-bean chili served with spaghetti. As an adult, I started to like the idea of eating beans, especially baked beans next to a side of barbecue. But there is nothing wrong with making a big pot of chili and skipping the beans.

Chili is one of my favorite fall and winter dinner staples. It freezes easily and warms you up in a hurry. I always make a huge pot so there are leftovers to freeze. There is nothing better than knowing you can pull a meal from the freezer on a busy night. It's pure comfort food and this chili is low in fat and carbs so you could place it right in the healthy category.

I love eating chili next to a side of tortilla chips, cornbread, or in this bread bowl if you are not counting carbs or calories. To me, chili without beans is also the best kind to pile on a hot dog. There are so many different ways you can use leftover chili to recreate a meal. My husband's favorite is to wrap some up in a tortilla and pile on the cheese. It then transforms to a chili burrito. Don't forget the Fritos!

I particularly love chili in the fall and winter, but no matter what season it is, it's still one of my dinner favorites. Let's all think about the warmer weather when we can grill those hot dogs, and pull some of this chili from the freezer to create grilled chili dogs!

Chili is always better with tons of sharp cheddar grated on top, don't you think?

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Low Carb Chili Recipe

Print This Recipe

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/4 pounds ground turkey
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
2 jalapeÃ±o peppers, deseeded and minced
1/4 cup bell peppers, chopped
1 cup salsa
14 ounces diced tomatoes, 1 can
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon chili powder
salt, to taste
crushed red pepper, to taste

For Garnish:

sour cream
shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

In a French oven, heat oil on medium high and cook ground turkey for a few minutes or until it starts to brown.
Add garlic, onion, jalapeno peppers and sweet peppers. Cook for five more minutes or until veggies start to wilt.
Add salsa, canned tomatoes, water and chili powder to the pan. Reduce heat to low and stir. Cover the pan and simmer for 30 minutes while stirring occasionally. More water can be added if a thinner chili is desired.
Serve with sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese if desired.

This giveaway is provided to you by KitchenIQ. The views and opinions expressed by contributors on Food Fanatic are based entirely upon the contributor's experiences with KitchenIQ products. Neither the contributor nor Food Fanatic was compensated monetarily by the brand for this post, but the contributor did receive the items listed for review. Please see the RaffleCopter Widget link for complete Terms & Conditions.

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KitchenIQ Fine Grater Review

The Kitchen IQ Grater Paddle is the perfect tool for grating cheese, chocolate and vegetables. The fine blade does a great job making orange and lemon zest.

The non- slip grip handle on the grater is really comfortable to hold and makes grating or any type of food easy. I love the bright yellow color that my grater comes in. The bright color makes it easy to spot in your cabinet or drawers. The grater is very wide so you can great a big piece of cheese or cheese all at once. The V-etched blade is at a perfect angle to shred hard or soft cheese as well as grate vegetables and zest lemons or oranges.

The Kitchen IQ Grater Paddle comes with a reusable cover that protects both the tool and your hands when transporting or storing. The stainless steel blade has a non- stick coating making it easy to clean without a lot of food getting stuck in the grater. This grater is also dishwasher safe if it is put on the top rack. Cleaning it is such a breeze.

Pros:

Grates cheese, chocolate, vegetables, lemon and orange zest perfectly.
Easy to use and easy to clean.
Dishwasher safe.

Cons:

A little bulky to store in a utensils drawer.

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KitchenIQ Extra Coarse Grater Review

The Kitchen IQ Extra Coarse Grater is the perfect tool for grating cheese, chocolate and vegetables. I love how it grates carrots and zucchini. The extra coarse size of the blade allows me to make wonderful carrot and zucchini muffins.

The non- slip grip handle on the grater is so comfortable to hold and makes grating or shredding any type of food easy. It is a bright, fun orange color but is also available in charcoal. The grater is very wide so you can grate a big piece of cheese all at once without having to cut most pieces in half. The V-etched blade is at a perfect angle to shred hard or soft cheese as well as grate vegetables such as cucumbers, potatoes, carrots, peppers and onions.

The Kitchen IQ Extra Coarse Grater comes with a reusable cover which protects both the tool and your hands when transporting or storing. The blade has a non- stick coating making it easy to clean without a lot of food getting stuck in the grater. The reason this is my favorite grater is that it is dishwasher safe as long as it is put on the top rack of the dishwasher.

Pros:

Grates and shreds almost any type of food perfectly.
Easy to use and easy clean up.
Dishwasher safe.
Comes in a bright, fun color.

Cons:

A little bulky to store in a utensils drawer.

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KitchenIQ Coarse Grater Review

The Kitchen IQ Coarse Grater is perfect for grating both soft and hard cheeses, chocolate and vegetables. I especially love how it grates potatoes when I am making potato pancakes. It grates anything I need very smoothly.

The non- slip grip handle on the grater as well as the angle of the grater makes grating anything a very comfortable process. I love the blue color that my grater comes in. The bright color allows me to distinguish this coarse grater from my finer grater which is yellow. It is also easy to spot in my cabinet or drawer. The grater has a wide blade so you can grate a big piece of cheese or chocolate all at once.

The Kitchen IQ Grater Paddles come with a reusable cover which protects both the tool and your hands when transporting or storing. The blades have a non- stick coating making them easy to clean without a lot of food getting stuck in the grater holes. This grater is dishwasher safe as long as it is put on the top rack. I love that I do not have to hand wash it.

Pros:

Grates almost any type of cheese, chocolate or vegetable perfectly.
Easy to use and easy to clean.
Dishwasher safe.
Comes in bright blue or charcoal.

Cons:

A little bulky to store in a utensils drawer.

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Avocado, Orange and Jicama Salad – Best Blogger Salad Contest Winner

Yesterday we announced the Reader's Choice winner in our Best Salad Recipes Ever contest. Today, we are excited to reveal the Editor's Choice!

Our judges selected this unique "Avocado, Mandarin Orange and Jicama Salad with Key Lime Dressing" as the winner of $1,000 and an upcoming 1-page spread in a magazine. She is also now in the running for the grand prize – a trip to the BHG headquarters and a tour of the test kitchens! Congratulations to Cheryl Lee from Black Girl Chef's Whites! (Check out that awesome badge on her homepage!)

Do YOU want fame and fortune from your recipes? Check out our latest contest and enter ASAP! Deadline is February 28th. http://ift.tt/1jbc1hB

Keep reading…

What made you decide to enter the BetterRecipes.com "Best Blogger Ever" contest?

I'm a big fan of Better Recipes, and decided to enter one of my favorite salad recipes. If I loved it, maybe others would too!

How did you come up with your winning recipe?

As with most of my recipes, a single ingredient can inspire me to make a recipe. In this case it was finding bags of inexpensive key limes. I also had a lot of really good ripe California avocados in my refrigerator. From there a recipe was born.

It can be quite embarrassing to grocery shop with me, as I tend to stop in the aisles and stare off into space as I develop the flavors for recipes in my head!

Do you have any recipe development or photography tips to share with our readers?

When developing recipes taste, taste and taste. They only way to tweak the flavor is to know the flavor. As for photography, its all about the light.

Have you seen an increase in traffic to your blog or this recipe since your win?

Better Recipes sends a nice amount of traffic to my blog, and I am very grateful!

Would you encourage other bloggers to enter recipe contests?

Yes! You already have the recipe and photography done most of the time, so why not share it with a new audience? And you might win!

When did you start the blog?

I started Black Girl Chef's Whites in 2009.

Why did you start writing a food blog? What motivates you to write and create new recipes for your audience?

I had left my job after having my daughter in 2007 to spend time with her. I was trying to get a personal chef business off the ground, and decided to keep my recipe developing skills in practice by starting a food blog. I remember thinking at the time "I should start a food blog. Everybody and their grandmother has one! Why can't I?" Recipe developing is my favorite part of the culinary world, being able to experiment with flavors and textures. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't!

Do you focus on a particular angle or subject matter?

No, I tend to do different types of recipes, depending on what is in the market, what is in season or what I may be craving. New recipe = dinner!

Do you have any tips for readers interested in starting their own blog?

Don't start a food blog for money and fame! Do it because you enjoy cooking and want to share your recipes and passion for them with others. And if you want to join a group of some of the most supportive and giving people, then become a food blogger.

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